Every Little Smile
by stranger12
Summary: Once a Princess, always a Princess


**Princess Princess – Every Little Smile**

Once a Princess, always a Princess

* * *

Kouno was twenty five years old, and his days as a Princess were long, long gone. Sure, he'd suffered through the entirety of high school afterwards as something of a celebrity (and he didn't have Arisada's ominous aura to help him along, but at least he had Shihoudani and Mikoto to share in his misery then), and University had been less than ideal as several of his former colleagues (and even some Sempai) attended the same school, making it quite difficult to sustain a normal existence where he didn't hear sighs as he walked by and smiled automatically.

Yeah, the automatic Princess smile was a drag. Mikoto, being the downer that he was, had had no trouble not smiling at people, but Shihoudani reported he too had issues with his former Princess self. That he continued to keep his hair on the longer side didn't help matters. Although, if Kouno was going to be exceedingly honest, the fact that neither Shihoudani or himself had gained a more masculine look as the years passed (as was the case with Mikoto, the traitor) didn't exactly make their former classmates stop following them around like puppies.

Anyway. Kouno found himself as a twenty five year old working at a news station, mercifully behind the scenes, and quite happy with his position in life. One day, he hoped to be the head writer of some really successful show, maybe a news program (as, despite what the likes of Shihoudani told him, he actually liked such 'old man stuff').

"Kouno! There you are!" – Maho, one of the junior producers, exclaimed as soon as she spotted him.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Do you have a suit on you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, never mind that" – Suzumori, another producer, stepped in, staring Kouno up and down in a manner that felt all too familiar to him,

No. No, no. No, no, absolutely–

"Minami–san has taken ill and won't be ablet to make it" – Maho said.

"You're taking over for him" – Suzumori finished, already grabbing his arm with much more strength than one would think her capable of possessing and dragging him away as his colleagues watched on in curiosity.

"Me! But– But–! I'm just a junior writer! I don't–! I can't do this!"

"Yes you can, and you will" – Suzumori glared over her shoulder, but Kouno had not survived Fujimori without developing a thick skin.

Hell, dealing with Shihoudani and Mikoto when they were at their worst had made him quite adept at dealing with glares, stares, verbal spats, insults and the occasional flying fist.

(not that he had ever had much to worry about between those two, they had terrible aim).

"I will not, Suzumori–san, Maho–san" – he replied cheerfully, putting on what he dubbed the 'Princess smile light'. He used it to get out of going out to drinks when he was particularly tired for the most part, but it seemed like he'd just found a new use for it, for both women looked dazzled at him.

"No! You must!" – Maho shook her head and yelled, as if trying to break free from his charms.

Alright. Kouno cracked his neck and prepared to go full Princess power on them, they wouldn't know what hit 'em.

For a moment, he was seriously worried he had broken them. Maho gasped and put her hands over her mouth, eyes glistening as she turned all red, and Suzumori widened her eyes as he continued smiling like the best Princess in the entire world, Arisada included (ha!).

And then, because it was his life, they shrieked and started running around the dressing room grabbing a suit, shirt, ties and even shoes.

"You are so much better than Minami–san!" – Maho said breathlessly as she started putting ties next to his face.

"I am telling Hanami–san about this, she will hire you on the spot!" – Suzumori said next.

"No, no, wait, no, I don't want to be an anchor, I just want to write–!"

"Do you know how much an anchors even makes, Kouno?" – Suzumori questioned, putting her hands on her hips as Maho finally chose a tie.

"I suppose... A lot?"

"While I cannot tel you for sure how much Minami–san made last year" – she took out her phone and typed something on it – "It is not much less than this"

He stared long and hard at the screen.

Not an hour later, he was smiling at the cameras, making mental notes to call Shihoudani as soon as he was over to ask how he dealt with being in front of the camera, seeing as his friend had been much quicker than him to take advantage of his good looks and Princess charms by becoming an actor.


End file.
